Azarenka weighs in on Raducanu sudden success: "What I noticed at that time was everybody was grabbing onto her"
WTAFriday, 14 July 2023 at 15:30
Victoria Azarenka recounted first speaking to Emma Raducanu and her overnight success in winning the US Open as well as related her need to have no 'Yes Men' in her camp that tell her what she wants to hear.
The former World No.1 spoke as part of Up Front with Simon Jordan about a myriad of topics and with Jordan being a Brit himself, he asked in particular about Raducanu and her sudden rise.
"I met Emma on WhatsApp. The agent reached out, there is this young girl who wanted to ask for some advice and talk to you. I said of course, it was Covid time. We talked for an hour and she said she had some injuries and she was looking forward to coming to the tour. I don't remember what I said," said Azarenka.
"We talked, It was great. She sent me email after and then Wimbledon 2021, I hear this name Raducanu. I looked back at my email, 'OMG that was her?."
"It was really cool and then she won the US Open. What I noticed at that time was everybody was grabbing onto her like she's their friend. I was like you probably didn't know her a month ago, nobody knew her. It felt not real."
But with her, she personally hates hypocrisy and many believe that Raducanu was almost pillaged during that time with Jordan saying himself that he found is disconcerting seeing her at the Met Gala and other events and almost being thrown around as a puppet.
"From my experience, you need to have a very, very small circle. Very, very solid one that has your best interests at heart. Truth is important. Everyone I work with I say 'no bulls*** please, don't tell me what I want to hear'. I hate hypocrisy and I hate two-faced people."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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